BUSINESSES are being urged to ensure they cover all the angles to avoid running up costly staff travel costs.

Corporate travel specialists, Equilibrium Travel Management (EQ), is highlighting how companies can save thousands by getting executives to board first and business class flights with seats that do not turn into fully-flat beds.

In one case, they were able to save a business £500,000 by switching staff onto airlines whose seats convert into angled beds instead of 180-degree flat beds.

EQ managing director, Franc Jeffrey, said that, with business travel remaining the third most-expensive expense for any business, it was important for companies to know about the massive savings that can be made through proper knowledge of the market.

He said: “It’s common for airlines to offer 180-degree flat beds, but these will come in at premium fare rates. But by missing out on a true flat bed by just an angle of 20 degrees, savings can be as high as 57 per cent.

“Imposing restrictions on the use of 180-degree flat beds as part of an organisation’s travel policy can substantially reduce its annual expenditure.

“For one London based company we were able to offer a phenomenal saving of £500,000 on a travel spend of £1.4 million purely by switching from a fully-flat bed carrier to using an alternative airline who offer angled beds.

“Flying by business class to New York within in seven days of booking on alternative carriers offering 160–170-angled flat beds are as low as £1737 if you choose to connect through a European hub, such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt, or Paris.

“However, although angled beds offer enhanced comfort and fantastic value for money, passengers sometimes find that they can spend the night sliding down the bed, which is a problem not experienced when flying in a 180-degree flat bed.”

EQ was created to meet the needs of clients who have been forced by the recession to look to maximise return on spend across all areas of their business.

It also aims to challenge the business travel sector by offering their services on a transparent, fee-based system, as opposed to the more commonplace ‘fee plus hidden charges’ model.

Franc said: “Travel remains the third-largest expense for most organisations, so it is vital that companies get the best value for their money in this area. To do that, we look to work closely with companies to create a working partnership that understands the company’s travel needs and can evolve and react to market demands and changes.

“This combination provides the tools required to control travel expenses, resulting in bottom line savings and improved service.

“EQ will bring clarity and transparency to corporate travel bookings by charging a fixed fee. This means we can search and choose the best deals and options to meet the company’s travel budget and policy.”

The Fife-based company has been created by Franc Jeffrey, one of the UK’s leading figures in travel management, who was chief operating officer at Colpitts World Travel until earlier this year. The senior management team is composed of business partner, Duncan Sanders, and four other senior travel executives.

EQ offers a comprehensive meetings and events department and will offer services in marine and offshore travel as well as travel and expense management for clinical trials.

For companies wishing to arrange their own travel EQ, offers a low fee, bespoke online booking tool, which provides a controlled, yet easy-to-operate reservations process, while keeping them compliant with all ‘duty of care’ legislation.

Issued on behalf of Equilibrium Travel Management by Holyrood Partnership. For more details contact Raymond Notarangelo on 0131 561 2244 or info@holyroodpr.co.uk

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